Canadian scientists create stable, affordable way to transport fragile vaccines

A breakthrough by researchers at McMaster University could save lives around the world by making it easier and far cheaper to deliver fragile vaccines for deadly viruses such as Ebola and influenza to remote communities in developing countries.

The innovation is almost as easy “as stirring milk and sugar into coffee,” said Matthew Miller, an assistant professor in McMaster’s biochemistry department, who was part of the interdisciplinary team that worked on the project. The process involves combining sugars used for other purposes with the drugs, turning the temperature-sensitive vaccine into a lightweight sugary gel that can travel for long periods through harsh climates.

Why can’t we find a cure for the common cold?

This week we address the question that all people ask in between sniffles... Why can’t we find a cure for the common cold?

We headed off to the Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Learning and Discovery to meet Dr. Matthew Miller in his lab to find out the answer.

The 'holy grail': We're a decade away from a universal flu vaccine

Around the world, teams of scientists are working to crack the code for a universal flu vaccine. Canadian researcher Matthew Miller believes that could happen with a decade.

Considered the holy grail of flu prevention, a universal or durable vaccine promises to do away with the annual guess work of trying to produce a flu vaccine successfully targets all the prevailing and quickly mutating strains of influenza each year.

Flu's connection to heart attacks: Older adults at greater risk

There's a connection between the flu and heart attacks, according to Canadian researchers whose data show that older adults are at greater risk. The connection is being called 'significant' and the risk for older adults is especially high the week after getting the flu.